COLORADO SPRINGS — One Colorado Springs startup is now hosting tiny-robot fight nights while also working to lower the technological and financial barriers to the field of combat robotics.
During November, Nathan Eversole, a combat robotics enthusiast who runs Budget Bot Builders, decided that it was time to start up some recurring events for those that shared his passion for building and breaking bots.
This decision made, Eversole partnered with Dice Guys and the Fifty-Niner (a game store and speakeasy respectively) and started up monthly pub fights, where competitors from far and wide could bring their fighting robots to duke it out in the ring.
These aren't bots of monstrous size, each and every competitor is only allowed 150 grams, a restriction that never halts the creativity that goes into the crafting of these mechanized warriors.
"You know, some of them walk, some of them have tank treads," commented Eversole, "some have massive, metal, spinning weapons, some of them have grabbing implements."
"It's always kind of an interesting challenge to come up with your own style," commented one competitor in attendance.
Those in attendance report that while a big part of the enjoyment they derive from the sport comes from the designing, building, and then battling aspects; perhaps the most important element of the entire event is the community.
"The community is just so great, everyone is just so into it," said one competitor.
"I think the whole process is pretty fun, honestly, but I definitely enjoy the social aspect of it too," said another.
Far from being content with just having fun with friends and giving folks an arena in which to play out their combat-robotic fantasies, Eversole uses his business, Budget Bot Builders, to sell tiny-combat-robot-creation kits.
These kits are meant to aid in tearing down the financial and technological barriers that may stop interested parties from getting into the sport.
The group uses revenue to donate kits to groups like community centers, children's museums, and schools.
This past year, the sale of 200 kits allowed Budget Bot Builders to donate 20 kits to schools. This coming year, Eversole hopes to be able to donate one kit for every two that his group sells.
The overall hope is to give the next generation a chance to try something new, and maybe that acts as a jumping off point to pursue other technological interests.
"I hope that sprouts something bigger than just your combat robot; if it doesn't, then that's great too, but we want this to be a learning and growing experience for everybody," finished Eversole.
To learn more about Budget Bot Builders, you can head on over to their Facebook page.
